Illuminating device for instrument panels



Dec. 2, 1930. n. E. KEENEY ILLUMINATINS DEVICE FOR INSTRUMENT PANELS Filed March 14, 1929 Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFnca DON E. KEENF-Y, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO A G SPARK PLUG-COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, A GQMIEANY MICHIGAN Application filed March-14, 1929. Serial no. 347,029.

Although the present invention has been devised with particular reference to the projection of a beam or beams of light from a concealed source or sources through a lateral window or windows of a type now commonly provided in the casings of the instruments carried by the dash or instrument boards or panels of automotive vehicles, it should be understood that the device referred to'relates more particularly to the construction,

support and conduction of current to and through side-opening socket elements that appreciated from the following description,

which includes mention of various alternative and optional features, taken in connection with the appended claims and the' accompanying drawings.

Flgure 1 may be referred to as a side elevational view, with parts sectionedin a substantially median plane,-an instrument with a lateral window being conventionally shown as supported from an instrument panel which is comprised in a general combination including one simple and typical form of illuminating device within the scope of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken in the general manner indicated by the arrow 2 of Figure 1, but suggesting optional additional features and serving as a partial wiring diagram.

Figure 3 is a view taken somewhat similarly to Figure 1 but showing only a triplesocket element,-this being formed integral with a conductive bracket of special form.

Figure 4 is a view comparable with the upper portion of Figure 1 but showing an additional alternative form.

Referring first to Figure 1, a sheet-metal panel element 10, adapted to serve as a,

for the admission of a beam of light. Means such as a back plate or U-shaped plate-engaging yoke 13 and/or a glass or other front cover element 14 may cooperate with the panel element 10 in supporting any desired number of instruments 11; and said instrument or instruments may be illuminated by means such as an incandescent light bulb 15 supported from either a conductive back plate or a conductive front plate or panel 10,-the latter having welded or otherwise conductively secured thereto a substantially rigid grounding bracket 16, indirectly supporting said bulb. For the purpose last referred to, a free or inner end of bracket 16 may be formed integral with or conductively engaged by a socket-supporting member such as an arm 17, integral with and extending laterally from an open-sided socket element 18; and the latter may be adapted to cooperate with a terminal-engaging spring finger 19, insulated from the grounding bracket 16,

in the retention of a plug 20, carrying the light bulb 15. I

The socket element 18 is shownas provided, near one end thereof, with a pair of terminally bent and resilient side-gripping conductive fingers 22, spaced from a pair of parallel and notched fin ers 23,"the latter being comprised in a p ug-positioning and retaining organization which includes a pin or pins 24 adapted to interfit within a notch or notches 25 in one or more of said fingers and to be held therein by the spring finger 19, or its equivalent.

In Figure 1, a spring finger 19 is shown as integral with a connector 26,for an additional conductive cable or wire; and the latter is shown as apertured, in an oifset intermediate portion 27 thereof, to receive an assembling or securing elementsuch as screw 28,'optionally used also as a pivot. The inner portion 29 of the grounding bracket 16 may be provided with a threaded or other opening 30, preferably so formed as to provide a boss adapted to receive thefastening element 28; and insulating means such as separate washers 31, 32 and 33, or an insulating eyelet corresponding thereto, may be so carried by one of the mentioned 'parts or by limited extent.

the offset portion 27 of connector 26, or its equivalent, as to insulate said connector from the grounding bracket 16 and/or the conductive arm 17 of the socket 18, or its equivalent. It will be seen that spring finger 19 serves not only for conduction but normally to retain pins 24 in notches 25 by longitudinal pressure upon a terminal 34.

In Figure 2 it is suggested, by way of addition or modification, that although the bracket 16 and the offset portion 27 of connector 26 be held stationary relatively to plate 10 (as by means of a non-circular shank 31 upon screw 28' and interfitting non-circular parts provided by means such as the mentioned insulating washers or an equivalent eyelet 33 seated within a noncircular opening in said connector, an optional lock nut 35 being shown in Figure 1 as engaging a reduced and threaded extension 35 of screw 28) the spring finger 19, even though it be integral with the connector 26, may be provided with lateral extensions 36 so shaped as to assure conductive contact of said spring finger with a terminal element 34', provided upon the plug 20, even though said plug be rotatively shifted to a Shifting, when deemed deslrable, may be effected by means such as an arm '38, shown as integral with, and as projecting at right angles to, the socket-carrying arm 17' In this embodiment, without impairing the utility of the light source 15 in the illumination of the instrument or instruments 11, a beam from said source may also be forwardly or rearwardly projected,- as, through an arcuate opening 39' shown as having a graduated and colored translucent element 40', disposed therein. It will be seen that, upon manipulation of the arm 38' (as, by the connection of an actuating rod 41', with a suitable governor) every change in the rate of advance of the automotive vehicle may be automatically indicated by the shifting of the light source 15, and by a corresponding change in the color and/or intensity of the beam transmitted through rality of socket elements 18a and the colored glass 40' screw 28 serving, in this instance, as a pivot for a lever comprising the arms 17 and 38 by which said light source is manipulated;

The additional showings of Figures 3. and

4 should be construed as merely suggestive of a range of alternatives. The conductive brackets 16, 16 of Figures 1 and '2 being shown as Z-shaped, as distinct from the socket-carrying arms 17, 17 and as Supported from front plates 10, 10", the bracket 16a of Figure 3, and bracket 16?) of Figure 4 (each beingoptionally integral with a plu- 186) may be referred to as substantially U-shaped and adapted to be supported alternatively from a back plate 13a (or 136) or from any equivalent conductive element thereabove; and

or its equivalent,the

the brackets 16a and 16?) may be made interchangeable and/or reversible as to point of attachment. In Figures 1, 2 and 3, it is the socket-carrying element 17 17 (or 17a) that is mounted directly upon a grounding bracket; whereas, in Figure 4, the spring finger element 19?; (comparable with the spring fingers 19, 19 of the forms shown in Figures 1 and 2) is shown as conductively engaged by, although distinct from (and optionally movable relatively to) the grounding bracket 16b; and socket-carrying elements of the general types shownin Figures 3 and 4, whether or not provided with a plurality of sockets, may beused in connection with either stationary but resilient cooperating spring fingers of the general character shown in Figures 1 and 2 or with laterally movable contact elements adapted to make and break branch circuits somewhat in the manner suggested in Figure 4.

In Figure 4, a socket-carrying arm 17b is shown as integral with a wireor cable-receiving connector 266; the spring finger element 19b, contacting with the plug terminal 346, is shown as rotatively and conductively engaging an inner terminal and bearing portion 29?) of the bracket 16b,and the yieldably interfitting parts last referred to are shown as held in assembled relationship by means including an insulating eyelet which comprises flanges 3lb and 33binterconnected by a tubular portion 32b-through which extends a screw 28?; carrying a nut 35b upon a threaded terminal portion 85?) thereof. To prevent undesired relative rotation between mentioned parts not connected with the spring finger 196, the fianges31b maybe noncircular in outline and confined between oppositely deformed flanges 41b and 4212, provided respectively upon the free end 296 of bracket 16b and upon the socket-supporting arm 176 or its equivalent. The spring finger 19?) being provided with an insulating handle 436 and/or with an aperture 44?) to permit the connection of automatic or other operating element (not shown) thereto, it will be seen that the construction disclosed in Fig ure 4 adapts a single spring finger 19b to serve incidentally as a switch element rotatively adjustable about the pivot screw 28b, or its equivalent, and capable of cooperating with any suitable number of terminal ele ments 346 provided upon plugs 20?), disposed in sockets at a uniform radial distance from said pivot.

rate of advance'by its rate of blinking, but. it should be understood that' a shifting of the bulb toward its high-speed position may automatically remove resistance gradatim from its circui t,to offset or exceed the efl'ect of any diminution in the intensity of the transmitted beam due to increase in color; and also that the speed-indicating features referred to (and believed to be especially advantageous during night driving) are herein regarded as, distinct from the invention claimed.

Although the foregoing description has fiincluded alternative forms. in addition to the very simple and practical organization in Y Figure-1, and although both the speed-indieating features suggested in Fig re 2 and the switch. features shown in Fig re 4 but not claimed herein are relevant-only as'suggesting modification and/or uses, it should be understood not only that various features of the present invention-may be independently employed but also numerous modifications, in addition to those suggested, might easily be devised,all without the slightest departure of spirit or scope ofthe present in-, vention. s

I claim: v

1'. In an illumination device for use upon conductive panels carrying instruments: an open-sided socket element provided with resilient plug-retaining fingers near one end thereof and with parallel fingers, having pinreceiving notches therein, near the other end thereof substantially rigid conductive means for supporting said socket element from said panel; and resilient condu'ctive means normally retaining said pins in said notches.

2. In an. illumination device of the general character described: a grounding bracket welded to an instrument panel plate; a laterally extending and conductive arm element contacting therewith and having a socket formed'therein; an additional'conductive element-adapted 'resilientlyto engage an end terminal of a'plug received in said socket element; and means for supporting said ad= ditional conductive elements from said tegral therewith; an additional conductive element adapted resiliently to engage an end terminal of a plug received in said socket element; and a fastening element extending through said conductive elements and pro vided with means to support one of said conductive elements in insulated relationship to said bracket and the other in conductive relationship to said bracket;

4. In an illuminating device suitable for use upon an instrument board: a terminal element comprising a side-opening socket; a terminal element comprising a resilient finger adapted to engage a contact provided at the end of a plug received by said socket; and means, including a bracket and a single threaded element, effective to hold said terminal elements in assembled relationship and to support the same, insulated from one another, upon said board.

5. An organization as 'defined in claim 4 in which said first-mentioned terminal element comprises a plurality of sockets which are disposed at a substantiallyuniform radial distance from said threaded element.

6. An organization as defined in claim 4 in which said second-mentioned terminal .ele- Y ment comprises a, spring finger which is adapted to engage a plurality of terminal elements upon separate plugs inseparate sockets.

7. An organization as defined in claim 4 in which one of said terminal elements is provided with means for imparting a pivotal movement thereto, for a circuit making and breaking effect.

8. For use in supporting a light bulb from a metallic plate serving as a ground and car'- rying an instrument to -'be illuminated through a side opening: a conductive bracket element welded to said plate and provided with means for separately and laterally supporting both a light socket element and a spring contact finger,said Ifinger being integral with a conductive connector ele-,

ment and insulated from said socket element and adapted to so engage a-plug'in said socket 9. An organization as defined'in claim 8 Y .in which said bracket, said socket element and said connectors arecorrespondingly apertured and are secured together by a thread- ,ed element carrying insulation for one of said conductive elements. r

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' 'DON' E. KEENEY.

bracket while maintaining said conductive elements insulated from one another.

3. In an illuminating device of the general character described: a-grounding bracket, a laterally extending and'conductive' arm element having a socket element formed in- 

